Smokeless tobacco products with starch component

ABSTRACT

A smokeless tobacco product configured for insertion into the mouth of a user is provided. The smokeless tobacco product includes a tobacco material and a specific starch material that imparts specific textural properties to the product. A process for preparing a smokeless tobacco product with a desired textural property is also provided.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to products made or derived from tobacco,or that otherwise incorporate tobacco, and are intended for humanconsumption. In particular, the disclosure relates to compositions orformulations incorporating tobacco, and that are intended to be employedin a smokeless form.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Cigarettes, cigars, and pipes are popular smoking articles that employtobacco in various forms. Such smoking articles are employed by heatingor burning tobacco to generate aerosol (e.g., smoke) that may be inhaledby the smoker. Tobacco may also be enjoyed in a so-called “smokeless”form. Particularly popular smokeless tobacco products are employed byinserting some form of processed tobacco or tobacco-containingformulation into the mouth of the user. See for example, the types ofsmokeless tobacco formulations, ingredients, and processingmethodologies set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,376,586 to Schwartz;3,696,917 to Levi; 4,513,756 to Pittman et al.; 4,528,993 to Sensabaugh,Jr. et al.; 4,624,269 to Story et al.; 4,991,599 to Tibbetts; 4,987,907to Townsend; 5,092,352 to Sprinkle, III et al.; 5,387,416 to White etal.; 6,668,839 to Williams; 6,834,654 to Williams; 6,953,040 to Atchleyet al.; 7,032,601 to Atchley et al.; and 7,694,686 to Atchley et al.; USPat. Pub. Nos. 2004/0020503 to Williams; 2005/0115580 to Quinter et al.;2005/0244521 to Strickland et al.; 2006/0191548 to Strickland et al.;2007/0062549 to Holton, Jr. et al.; 2007/0186941 to Holton, Jr. et al.;2007/0186942 to Strickland et al.; 2008/0029110 to Dube et al.;2008/0029116 to Robinson et al.; 2008/0029117 to Mua et al.;2008/0173317 to Robinson et al.; 2008/0196730 to Engstrom et al.;2008/0209586 to Neilsen et al.; 2008/0305216 to Crawford et al.;2009/0065013 to Essen et al.; 2009/0293889 to Kumar et al.; 2011/0139164to Mua et al.; and 2010/0291245 to Gao et al.; PCT WO 04/095959 toArnarp et al.; and WO 2010/132444 A2 to Atchley; each of which isincorporated herein by reference. Exemplary smokeless tobacco productsthat have been marketed include those referred to as CAMEL Snus, CAMELOrbs, CAMEL Strips and CAMEL Sticks by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company;GRIZZLY moist tobacco, KODIAK moist tobacco, LEVI GARRETT loose tobaccoand TAYLOR′S PRIDE loose tobacco by American Snuff Company, LLC; KAYAKmoist snuff and CHATTANOOGA CHEW chewing tobacco by SwisherInternational, Inc.; REDMAN chewing tobacco by Pinkerton Tobacco Co. LP;COPENHAGEN moist tobacco, COPENHAGEN Pouches, SKOAL Bandits, SKOALPouches, RED SEAL long cut and REVEL Mint Tobacco Packs by U.S.Smokeless Tobacco Company; and MARLBORO Snus and Taboka by Philip MorrisUSA.

It would be desirable to provide an enjoyable form of a tobacco product,such as a smokeless tobacco product, that could be provided in a varietyof textures. More particularly, it would be desirable to provide methodsand compositions incorporating tobacco wherein mouth-feel of a producedtobacco product can be varied.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a smokeless tobacco product configuredfor insertion into the mouth of a user and processes for preparing asmokeless tobacco composition suitable for use in a smokeless tobaccoproduct. The smokeless tobacco composition can incorporate specificcomponents so as to provide a variety of smokeless tobacco products thateach can exhibit a different texture, have a different mouth-feel,exhibit a different chew characteristic, or have a different dissolutionquality in the mouth. In particular, the variable nature of thesmokeless tobacco product can arise, at least in part, from theincorporation of a starch component, which in turn provides variablequalities to the smokeless tobacco product due to the nature and sourceof the starch component.

In one aspect of the present invention is provided a method forpreparing a smokeless tobacco product, comprising: identifying aspecific textural property to be imparted to the product; identifying aspecific starch material that provides the specific textural property toa product; and combining the specific starch material with a tobaccomaterial to form a smokeless tobacco product that exhibits the desiredtextural property. Various starch materials can be used; in certainembodiments, the starch can be selected from the group consisting ofacom, maize, arrowroot, arracacha, banana, barley, bean, breadfruit,buckwheat, canna, cassaya, chestnut, colacasia, katakuri, kudzu,malanga, millet, oat, oca, Polynesian arrowroot, potato, quinoa, rice,sago, sorghum, sweet potato, rye, tapioca, taro, tobacco, waterchestnut, wheat, yam starch, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the starch can be a modified starch. For example,modified starches include, but are not limited to, pre-gelatinizedstarch, acid- or base-modified starch, oxidized starch (e.g., monostarchphosphate), cross-linked starch (e.g., distarch glycerol, distarchphosphate esterified with sodium trimetaphosphate, phosphate distarchphosphate, acetylated distarch phosphate), acetylated starch (e.g.,starch acetate esterified with acetic anhydride, starch acetateesterified with vinyl acetate, acetylated distarch adipate, acetylateddistarch glycerol), hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropyl distarchglycerol, starch sodium octenyl succinate, and combinations thereof.

In certain embodiments, the method involves combining the specificstarch material and tobacco material in aqueous solution. The starchmaterial can be treated prior to this combining step. For example, insome embodiments, the method further can comprise hydrating the specificstarch material prior to combining it with the tobacco material.Hydrating, in certain embodiments, can comprise heating the starch inwater to give a clear solution.

Various other ingredients can be added to the smokeless tobacco productsaccording to the method provided herein. For example, in certainembodiments, the method can further comprise combining the starchmaterial and tobacco material with one or more sweeteners. Exemplarysweeteners include, but are not limited to, fructose, sucrose, glucose,maltose, vanillin, ethylvanillin glucoside, mannose, galactose, lactose,stevia, sucralose, isomaltulose, maltodextrin, saccharin, aspartame,acesulfame K, erythritol, arabitol, ribitol, isomalt, maltitol,dulcitol, iditol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, sorbitol, andcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, the method further maycomprise combining the starch material and tobacco material with one ormore additives selected from the group consisting of fillers,flavorants, salts, emulsifiers, disintegration aids, humectants,buffering agents, and mixtures thereof. Exemplary additives include, butare not limited to, oils and fillers (e.g., fondant filling). In certainembodiments, the smokeless tobacco product can comprise about 1 percentor greater starch on a dry weight basis or about 5% or greater starch ona dry weight basis. In some embodiments, the smokeless tobacco productcan comprise about 15% or less starch on a dry weight basis.

The desired textural property selected according to the method of thepresent invention can vary. In certain embodiments, the desired texturalproperty can be selected from the group consisting of adhesiveness,cohesiveness, density, dryness, fracturability, graininess, gumminess,hardness, heaviness, moisture absorption, moisture release,mouthcoating, roughness, slipperiness, smoothness, viscosity, wetness,and combinations thereof. The smokeless tobacco produced by way of thismethod can vary in form; for example, in certain embodiments, it can bein the form of a gel or in the form of a solid. In certain embodiments,the smokeless tobacco product can be dissolvable.

In another aspect of the present invention is provided a smokelesstobacco product exhibiting a specific textural property, the productcomprising: a tobacco material; and a content of a specific starchmaterial that imparts the specific textural property. As indicatedabove, the textural property can vary and the form of the smokelesstobacco product can vary. Various additional additives can be includedwithin the smokeless tobacco product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter. Thedisclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not beconstrued as limited to the aspects set forth herein; rather, theseaspects are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicablelegal requirements. As used in this specification and the claims, thesingular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise.

In various embodiments, the present invention can provide smokelesstobacco compositions suitable for oral use. The smokeless tobaccocompositions generally include a tobacco material, one or more starchcomponents, and optionally one or more additional components asdescribed herein. In certain embodiments, the invention provides degreesof control over the organoleptic properties of smokeless tobaccoproducts, and such control cam be achieved by the selection of specificstarches for inclusion therein. For example, smokeless tobacco productscan exhibit specific textures, have specific mouth-feels, exhibitspecific chew characteristics, and/or have specific dissolutionqualities in the mouth. The specific nature of the smokeless tobaccoproduct can arise, at least in part, from the incorporation of aparticular starch component.

The products of the disclosure incorporate some form of a plant of theNicotiana species, and most preferably, those compositions or productsincorporate some form of tobacco. The selection of the Nicotiana speciescan vary; and in particular, the selection of the types of tobacco ortobaccos may vary. Tobaccos that can be employed include flue-cured orVirginia (e.g., K326), burley, sun-cured (e.g., Indian Kurnool andOriental tobaccos, including Katerini, Prelip, Kornotini, Xanthi andYambol tobaccos), Maryland, dark, dark-fired, dark air cured (e.g.,Passanda, Cubano, Jatin and Bezuki tobaccos), light air cured (e.g.,North Wisconsin and Galpao tobaccos), Indian air cured, Red Russian andRustica tobaccos, as well as various other rare or specialty tobaccos.Descriptions of various types of tobaccos, growing practices andharvesting practices are set forth in Tobacco Production, Chemistry andTechnology, Davis et al. (Eds.) (1999), which is incorporated herein byreference. Various representative other types of plants from theNicotiana species are set forth in Goodspeed, The Genus Nicotiana,(Chonica Botanica) (1954); U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,660,577 to Sensabaugh, Jr.et al.; 5,387,416 to White et al. and 7,025,066 to Lawson et al.; USPatent Appl. Pub. Nos. 2006/0037623 to Lawrence, Jr. and 2008/0245377 toMarshall et al.; each of which is incorporated herein by reference.Exemplary Nicotiana species include N. tabacum, N. rustica, N. alata, N.arentsii, N. excelsior, N. forgetiana, N. glauca, N. glutinosa, N.gossei, N. kawakamii, N. knightiana, N. langsdorffi, N. otophora, N.setchelli, N. sylvestris, N. tomentosa, N. tomentosiformis, N. undulata,N. × sanderae, N. africana, N. amplexicaulis, N. benavidesii, N.bonariensis, N. debneyi, N. longiflora, N. maritina, N. megalosiphon, N.occidentalis, N. paniculata, N. plumbaginifolia, N. rairnondii, N.rosulata, N. simulans, N. stocktonii, N. suaveolens, N. urnbratica, N.velutina, N. wigandioides, N. acaulis, N. acuminata, N. attenuata, N.benthamiana, N. cavicola, N. clevelandii, N. cordifolia, N. corymbosa,N. fragrans, N. goodspeedii, N. linearis, N. miersii, N. nudicaulis, N.obtusifolia, N. occidentalis subsp. Hersperis, N. pauciflora, N.petunioides, N. quadrivalvis, N. repanda, N. rotundifolia, N.solanifolia, and N. spegazzinii.

Nicotiana species can be derived using genetic-modification orcrossbreeding techniques (e.g., tobacco plants can be geneticallyengineered or crossbred to increase or decrease production ofcomponents, characteristics or attributes). See, for example, the typesof genetic modifications of plants set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,539,093to Fitzmaurice et al.; 5,668,295 to Wahab et al.; 5,705,624 toFitzmaurice et al.; 5,844,119 to Weigl; 6,730,832 to Dominguez et al.;7,173,170 to Liu et al.; 7,208,659 to Colliver et al. and 7,230,160 toBenning et al.; US Patent Appl. Pub. No. 2006/0236434 to Conkling etal.; and PCT WO 2008/103935 to Nielsen et al.

For the preparation of smokeless and smokable tobacco products, it istypical for a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species to be subjectedto a curing process. Descriptions of various types of curing processesfor various types of tobaccos are set forth in Tobacco Production,Chemistry and Technology, Davis et al. (Eds.) (1999). Exemplarytechniques and conditions for curing flue-cured tobacco are set forth inNestor et al., Beitrage Tabakforsch. Int., 20, 467-475 (2003) and U.S.Pat. No. 6,895,974 to Peele, which are incorporated herein by reference.Representative techniques and conditions for air curing tobacco are setforth in U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,892 to Groves et al.; Roton et al.,Beitrage Tabakforsch. Int., 21, 305-320 (2005) and Staaf et al.,Beitrage Tabakforsch. Int., 21, 321-330 (2005), which are incorporatedherein by reference. Certain types of tobaccos can be subjected toalternative types of curing processes, such as fire curing or suncuring. Preferably, harvested tobaccos that are cured are then aged. Assuch, tobaccos used for the preparation of tobacco compositions orproducts most preferably incorporate components of tobaccos that havebeen cured and aged. Tobacco materials used in the present invention canbe subjected to additional processing prior to use, such asfermentation, bleaching, and the like.

At least a portion of the plant of the Nicotiana species (e.g., at leasta portion of the tobacco portion) can be employed in an immature form.That is, the plant, or at least one portion of that plant, can beharvested before reaching a stage normally regarded as ripe or mature.As such, for example, tobacco can be harvested when the tobacco plant isat the point of a sprout, is commencing leaf formation, is commencingflowering, or the like.

At least a portion of the plant of the Nicotiana species (e.g., at leasta portion of the tobacco portion) can be employed in a mature form. Thatis, the plant, or at least one portion of that plant, can be harvestedwhen that plant (or plant portion) reaches a point that is traditionallyviewed as being ripe, over-ripe or mature. As such, for example, throughthe use of tobacco harvesting techniques conventionally employed byfarmers, Oriental tobacco plants can be harvested, burley tobacco plantscan be harvested, or Virginia tobacco leaves can be harvested or primedby stalk position.

After harvest, the plant of the Nicotiana species, or portion thereof,can be used in a green form (e.g., tobacco can be used without beingsubjected to any curing process). For example, tobacco in green form canbe frozen, subjected to irradiation, yellowed, dried, cooked (e.g.,roasted, fried or boiled), or otherwise subjected to storage ortreatment for later use. Such tobacco also can be subjected to agingconditions.

The tobacco material may be cased and dried, and then ground to thedesired form. For example, in some instances, the tobacco materialformulation may be cased with an aqueous casing containing componentssuch as sugars (e.g., fructose, glucose, and sucrose), humectants (e.g.,glycerin and propylene glycol), flavoring ingredients (e.g., cocoa andlicorice), and the like. Non-aqueous casing components may be applied tothe tobacco in amounts of about 1 percent to about 15 percent, based onthe dry weight of the tobacco.

The tobacco material is typically used in a form that can be describedas particulate (i.e., shredded, ground, granulated, or powder form). Themanner by which the tobacco material is provided in a finely divided orpowder type of form may vary. Preferably, plant parts or pieces arecomminuted, ground or pulverized into a particulate form using equipmentand techniques for grinding, milling, or the like. Most preferably, theplant material is relatively dry in form during grinding or milling,using equipment such as hammer mills, cutter heads, air control mills,or the like. For example, tobacco parts or pieces may be ground ormilled when the moisture content thereof is about 15 weight percent orless, about 10 weight percent or less, or about 5 weight percent orless. Most preferably, the tobacco material is employed in the form ofparts or pieces that have an average particle size of about 50 micronsor less. In one embodiment, the average particle size of the tobaccoparticles may be about 25 microns or less. In some instances, thetobacco particles may be sized to pass through a screen of a specificmesh size. If desired, air classification equipment may be used toensure that small sized tobacco particles of the desired sizes, or rangeof sizes, may be collected. If desired, differently sized pieces ofgranulated tobacco may be mixed together.

At least a portion of the tobacco material employed in the tobaccocomposition or product can have the form of an extract. Tobacco extractscan be obtained by extracting tobacco using a solvent having an aqueouscharacter such as distilled water or tap water. As such, aqueous tobaccoextracts can be provided by extracting tobacco with water, such thatwater insoluble pulp material is separated from the aqueous solvent andthe water soluble and dispersible tobacco components dissolved anddispersed therein. The tobacco extract can be employed in a variety offorms. For example, the aqueous tobacco extract can be isolated in anessentially solvent free form, such as can be obtained as a result ofthe use of a spray drying or freeze drying process, or other similartypes of processing steps. Alternatively, the aqueous tobacco extractcan be employed in a liquid form, and as such, the content of tobaccosolubles within the liquid solvent can be controlled by selection of theamount of solvent employed for extraction, concentration of the liquidtobacco extract by removal of solvent, addition of solvent to dilute theliquid tobacco extract, or the like. Exemplary techniques for extractingcomponents of tobacco are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,144,895 toFiore; 4,150,677 to Osborne, Jr. et al.; 4,267,847 to Reid; 4,289,147 toWildman et al.; 4,351,346 to Brummer et al.; 4,359,059 to Brummer etal.; 4,506,682 to Muller; 4,589,428 to Keritsis; 4,605,016 to yoga etal.; 4,716,911 to Poulose et al.; 4,727,889 to Niven, Jr. et al.;4,887,618 to Bernasek et al.; 4,941,484 to Clapp et al.; 4,967,771 toFagg et al.; 4,986,286 to Roberts et al.; 5,005,593 to Fagg et al.;5,018,540 to Grubbs et al.; 5,060,669 to White et al.; 5,065,775 toFagg; 5,074,319 to White et al.; 5,099,862 to White et al.; 5,121,757 toWhite et al.; 5,131,414 to Fagg; 5,131,415 to Munoz et al.; 5,148,819 toFagg; 5,197,494 to Kramer; 5,230,354 to Smith et al.; 5,234,008 to Fagg;5,243,999 to Smith; 5,301,694 to Raymond et al.; 5,318,050 toGonzalez-Parra et al.; 5,343,879 to Teague; 5,360,022 to Newton;5,435,325 to Clapp et al.; 5,445,169 to Brinkley et al.; 6,131,584 toLauterbach; 6,284,875 to Turpen et al.; 6,298,859 to Kierulff et al.;6,772,767 to Mua et al.; 6,817,970 to Berit et al.; 6,906,172 toBratcher et al.; 7,034,128 to Turpen et al.; 7,048,211 to Bratcher etal.; and 7,337,782 to Thompson, all of which are incorporated byreference herein.

The tobacco can be processed, blended, formulated, combined and mixedwith other materials or ingredients (i.e., additives). See, for example,those representative components, combination of components, relativeamounts of those components and ingredients relative to tobacco, andmanners and methods for employing those components, set forth in US Pat.Pub. Nos. 2007/0062549 to Holton, et al. and 2007/0186941 to Holton, etal., each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

In certain embodiments, the tobacco material can be prepared bysubjecting at least a portion of a tobacco plant (e.g., leaves, seeds,flowers, stalks, roots, or stems) to a separation process, whichtypically can include multiple sequential extraction steps, in order toisolate desired components of the tobacco material. Exemplary separationprocesses include chromatography, distillation, filtration,recrystallization, solvent-solvent partitioning, cold pressing, solventextraction (e.g., using solvents such as water, alcohols or hydrocarbonssuch as heptane or hexane), or a combination thereof. The resultingisolated tobacco component can be chemically transformed prior to use inthe compositions of the disclosure. Exemplary chemical transformationsinclude hydrogenation, esterification, transesterification, isomericconversion, acetal formation, acetal decomposition, acid/base reaction,hydrolysis, thermal treatment, enzymatic treatment, and combinations ofsuch steps. Techniques for preparing tobacco isolates for use in thecompositions of the disclosure are set forth, for example, in U.S.application Ser. No. 12/688,294 to Coleman, III et al., filed Jan. 15,2010, and U.S. application Ser. No. 12/764,613 to Coleman, III et al.,filed Apr. 21, 2010, which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety. Examples of the types of compounds that may be present in thetobacco isolate include hydrocarbons, cellulose, alcohols, aldehydes,ketones, carboxylic acids, amino acids, esters, lactones, anhydrides,carbohydrates (e.g., reducing sugars), phenols, quinones, ethers,nitriles, amines, amides, imides, plastid pigments, proteins,coenzyme-Q, pectin, starch, lignin, and lipids. Additional examples aredescribed as natural tar diluents in PCT WO 2007/012980 to Lipowicz,which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The type orfunction of a smokeless tobacco additive prepared from a tobacco isolatewill vary depending on the composition of the isolate, which can vary inpart based on the extraction process employed, the portion of thetobacco plant involved, the type of chemical transformation utilized,and the like. Certain tobacco isolates can provide sugars, fillers,binders, disintegration or compressibility aids, or flavorants for thesmokeless tobacco composition of the disclosure.

The relative amount of tobacco material within the smokeless tobaccocomposition may vary. Preferably, the amount of tobacco material withinthe smokeless tobacco composition is about 5 percent or greater, about10 percent or greater, about 15 percent or greater, about 20 percent orgreater, about 25 percent or greater, about 30 percent or greater, about35 percent or greater, about 40 percent or greater, about 45 percent orgreater, or about 50 percent or greater on a dry weight basis of thecomposition, and including all sources of tobacco including anytobacco-derived components such as binders. A typical range of tobaccomaterial within the smokeless tobacco composition can be about 5 toabout 70 dry weight percent, for example, about 10 to about 60 dryweight percent, about 15 to about 55 dry weight percent, about 20 toabout 50 dry weight percent, or about 20 to about 40 weight percent.

The moisture content of the tobacco material prior to mixing with anyliquid substances to form the smokeless tobacco composition may vary.Most preferably, the moisture content of the tobacco material can beabout 10 weight percent or less, about 5 weight percent or less, orabout 2.5 weight percent or less. The manner by which the moisturecontent of the tobacco material is controlled may vary. For example thetobacco material can be subjected to thermal or convection heating. As aspecific example, the tobacco material may be oven-dried, in warmed airat temperatures of about 40° C. to about 95° C. for a length of timeappropriate to attain the desired moisture content. For example, thetobacco material may be dried for about 12 hours to about 24 hours atabout 54° C. to about 60° C.

In some instances, prior to preparation of the tobacco material, thetobacco parts or pieces may be irradiated, or those parts and pieces maybe pasteurized, or otherwise subjected to controlled heat treatment.Additionally, if desired, after preparation of all or a portion of thetobacco material, the component materials may be irradiated, or thosecomponent materials may be pasteurized, or otherwise subjected tocontrolled heat treatment. For example, a tobacco material may beprepared, followed by irradiation or pasteurization, and then flavoringingredient(s) may be applied to the formulation. Representativeprocesses are set forth in US Pat. Pub. Nos. 2009/0025738 to Mua et al.and 2009/0025739 to Brinkley et al.; and U.S. application Ser. No.12/756,656 to Beeson et al., filed Apr. 8, 2010, which are incorporatedherein by reference.

In addition to the tobacco component, the smokeless tobacco products ofthe present invention comprise one or more starches. “Starch” as usedherein may refer to pure starch from any source, modified starch, orstarch derivatives. Starch is present, typically in granular form, inalmost all green plants and in various types of plant tissues and organs(e.g., seeds, leaves, rhizomes, roots, tubers, shoots, fruits, grains,and stems). Starch can vary in composition, as well as in granular shapeand size. Often, starch from different sources has different chemicaland physical characteristics.

Pure starch comprises amylose and amylopectin, in varying percentages.The ratio of amylose to amylopectin in starch depends, in part, on thesource of the starch. For example, many starches may contain from about20 to about 25 percent amylose and from about 75 to about 80 percentamylopectin. Other starches (e.g., amylomaize) comprise about 50 percentor more amylose. Certain starches are pure amylopectin starches (i.e.,“waxy starches”). Exemplary waxy starches include waxy maize, glutinousrice, and waxy potato starch. Further discussion of starch can be found,for example, in US Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2005/0076929 to Fitzerald, whichis incorporated herein by reference.

Amylose is a linear polysaccharide, comprising D-glucose units linked byα-(1→4) bonds. The number of D-glucose units in amylose can vary and maybe, for example, in the range of about 200 to 22,000 (e.g., about 300 to3,000). Although amylase may contain branch points, it is a highlylinear polymer. For example, amylase can have one α-(1→6) bond per150-500 glucose units. The extended conformation of amylose isconsidered to be responsible for starch's high viscosity, and increasingamylase concentration typically decreases gel stickiness and increasesgel firmness.

Amylopectin is a highly branched polysaccharide, comprising D-glucoseunits linked by α-(1→4) glycosidic bonds as well as some α-(1→6) bonds.The number of D-glucose units in amylopectin can vary and may be, forexample, in the range of about 1,000 to 2,000,000 (e.g., about 2,000 to200,000). Amylopectin in starch typically has a higher molecular weightthan amylose. Branching in amylopectin molecules results from α-(1→6)bonds, which typically occur every 12 to 30 glucose units. The structureof amylopectin can vary somewhat, depending on the source of the starch.For example, the degree of branching may vary. Also, some amylopectin(e.g., in potato starch) comprises phosphate groups attached to somehydroxyl groups. Amylopectin can form various types of crystallites,with different crystal packing arrangements (e.g., open hexagonal,staggered monoclinical, or a combination thereof).

According to the present invention, a specific starch material can beselected for inclusion in a smokeless tobacco product based on theability of the starch material to impart a specific organolepticproperty to the tobacco product. Thus, once a specific organolepticproperty is identified that is desirable in a given smokeless tobaccoproduct, an appropriate starch can be selected based on its ability toprovide such a property.

Certain organoleptic properties that can be impacted by selection ofstarch from a particular source relate to the mouthfeel of the product.Mouthfeel includes the product's physical and chemical interaction inthe mouth, evaluated from initial perception on the palate, to firstbite, through mastication to swallowing and aftertaste. Certainqualities associated with mouthfeel that may be noted in the smokelesstobacco products of the invention include, but are not limited to,cohesiveness, density, dryness, fracturability, graininess, gumminess,hardness, heaviness, moisture absorption, moisture release,mouthcoating, roughness, slipperiness, smoothness, viscosity, andwetness.

In certain embodiments, mouthfeel relates to the texture of thesmokeless tobacco product. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, theinvention provides a method wherein, a specific textural property to beimparted to the product is first identified, a specific starch materialthat can impart the specific textural property to the product isidentified; and the specific starch material is combined with a tobaccomaterial to form a smokeless tobacco product with the desired texturalproperty. Thus, it may be possible in certain embodiments to prepare asmokeless tobacco product having a specific textural property based onknowledge of the functional properties provided by a particular type ofstarch (i.e., the smokeless tobacco product is customizable or may becustomized to a desired functional property or properties throughcorrelation to an associated or identical property of the specificstarch material used). in some embodiments, the smokeless tobaccoproduct has a chewable and dissolvable quality with a mild resilience or“bounce” upon chewing that gradually leads to greater malleabilityduring use. In some embodiments, the smokeless tobacco product has acrispy or crunchy textural quality. Some exemplary starches and texturalproperties associated with those starches are provided in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Correlation of Representative Starches and Textural PropertiesStarch Type Textural Properties Tapioca (1-6% w/v, 7-13% w/v) oily feel,short or long firm gel texture Modified tapioca (acid or base thinned)pliable, viscoelastic, chewy gel Waxy corn granular, crispy texture Waxycorn (pre-gelatinized or cross-linked) pasty short or heavy pastytexture, pudding, or apple-jelly mouth-feel Maltodextrin creamy fastmelting, full mouth-feel, fat replacer Dextrin (enzyme or acid modified)film former, reduces staling or retrogradation in baked goods, molassesor syrup mouth-feel, solution stability in salad dressing, mayonnaise,cream cheese Potato gelatin type texture, chewy Regular or dent cornthickening properties, pudding Regular corn [acetylated orcross-linked)] granular Regular corn (acid thinned) soft, pasty texture,or rigid gel (gum candies) Sago rigid gel Rice gelatin, smooth, creamytexture Modified wheat [acid thinned) soft to rigid gel TapiocaMaltodextrin fast melting, fluffy texture Pregelatinized waxy maizecrispness, crispy texture Pregelatinized Potato Starch smoothappearance, creamy, smooth texture Tapioca Dextrin smooth, creamymouthfeel

According to the present invention, starch derived from various sourcescan be used. For example, major sources of starch include cereal grains(e.g., rice, wheat, and maize) and root vegetables (e.g., potatoes andcassaya). Other exemplary sources of starch include acorns, arrowroot,arracacha, bananas, barley, beans (e.g., favas, lentils, mung beans,peas, chickpeas), breadfruit, buckwheat, canna, chestnuts, colacasia,katakuri, kudzu, malanga, millet, oats, oca, Polynesian arrowroot, sago,sorghum, sweet potato, quinoa, rye, tapioca, taro, tobacco, waterchestnuts, and yams. In one embodiment, the starch is a tobacco-derivedstarch material. The use of a tobacco-derived starch material can beadvantageous because such materials represent a natural productproviding useful adhesive properties that enhance product cohesiveness,and also provides compatibility with the other sources of tobacco in theproduct from an organoleptic standpoint. See, for example, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/957,821 to Cantrell et al., filed Dec. 1, 2010,which is incorporated herein by reference.

Certain starches are modified starches. A modified starch has undergoneone or more structural modifications, often designed to alter its highheat properties. Some starches have been developed by geneticmodifications, and are considered to be “modified” starches. Otherstarches are obtained and subsequently modified. For example, modifiedstarches can be starches that have been subjected to chemical reactions,such as esterification, etherification, oxidation, depolymerization(thinning) by acid catalysis or oxidation in the presence of base,bleaching, transglycosylation and depolymerization (e.g., dextrinizationin the presence of a catalyst), cross-linking, enzyme treatment,acetylation, hydroxypropylation, and/or partial hydrolysis. Otherstarches are modified by heat treatments, such as pregelatinization,dextrinization, and/or cold water swelling processes. Certain modifiedstarches include monostarch phosphate, distarch glycerol, distarchphosphate esterified with sodium trimetaphosphate, phosphate distarchphosphate, acetylated distarch phosphate, starch acetate esterified withacetic anhydride, starch acetate esterified with vinyl acetate,acetylated distarch adipate, acetylated distarch glycerol, hydroxypropylstarch, hydroxypropyl distarch glycerol, starch sodium octenylsuccinate.

Although starch derived from different sources is similar in content(i.e., comprising primarily amylase and amylopectin), the specificcharacteristics of starch derived from different plants can varysignificantly. For example, starch from different plants may compriseamylose and amylopectin in varying rations and with varying chainlengths and varying degrees of branching. Some starches further compriseadditional components, such as phosphates, lipids, and/or proteins.Starches may exhibit varying levels of cross-linking between polymerchains. Further, starch can vary in average granule size, sizedistribution, and shape. For example, rice-derived starch is generallyaround 2 μm, maize-derived starch is generally around 12-30 μm,wheat-derived starch is generally around 30-45 μm, and potato-derivedstarch is generally around 50-100 μm.

These and other differences can significantly affect the physicalproperties of the starch. For example, they may impact the swellablepotential of starch granules. For example, the higher the crystallinity,the higher the swellable potential of the starch. The crystallinity of agiven starch is, in turn impacted by the ratio of amylase toamylopectin. High levels of amylase typically decrease the crystallinityof a starch, and thus, decrease the swellable potential. Thecrystallinity is also impacted by the size and shape of starch granules,as smaller, spherical granules are typically less crystalline and thushave less swelling potential.

The amount of starch included in the smokeless tobacco products of thepresent invention can vary. The amount of starch may, in certainembodiments, have an effect on the properties of the smokeless tobaccoproducts. For example, in certain embodiments, the smokeless tobaccoproducts can comprise about 0.5% or greater, about 1 percent or greater,about 2 percent or greater, about 3 percent or greater, about 4 percentor greater, about 5 percent or greater, or about 10% or greater starchon a dry weight basis. In certain embodiments, the smokeless tobaccoproducts can comprise about 50 percent or less, about 25% or less, about10% or less, or about 5% or less starch on a dry weight basis. Exemplaryweight ranges of starch in the smokeless tobacco products according tothe invention described herein include about 0.5% to about 50%, about0.5% to about 25%, about 1% to about 15%, or about 1% to about 10%starch on a dry weight basis.

The smokeless tobacco products of the invention typically furthercomprise one or more sweeteners. The sweetener can be any sweetener orcombination of sweeteners, in natural or artificial form, or as acombination of natural and artificial sweeteners. Exemplary naturalsweeteners include fructose, sucrose, glucose, maltose, vanillin,ethylvanillin glucoside, mannose, galactose, lactose, stevia, and thelike. Exemplary artificial sweeteners include sucralose, isomaltulose,maltodextrin, saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame K, neotame and the like.Certain exemplary sweeteners are sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols arepolyols derived from monosaccharides or disaccharides that have apartially or fully hydrogenated form. Exemplary sugar alcohols haveabout 4 to about 20 carbon atoms and include erythritol, arabitol,ribitol, isomalt, maltitol, dulcitol, iditol, mannitol, xylitol,lactitol, sorbitol, and combinations thereof (e.g., hydrogenated starchhydrolysates). In one embodiment, sugar (i.e., sucrose) is the primarysweetener ingredient. In other embodiments, sucralose or maltodextrincan be the primary sweetener.

In some embodiments, one or more syrups are the primary sweetener in thesmokeless tobacco product. In certain embodiments, corn syrup and/orsucrose are used as sweeteners in the smokeless tobacco products of thepresent invention. Representative syrups that can be used include, butare not limited to, corn syrup, molasses, sugar alcohol syrups (e.g.,maltitol syrup), maple syrup, agave syrup, barley syrup, birch syrup,rice syrup, coconut syrup, honey, sugar beet syrup, or sorghum syrup.When a syrup is used as a sweetener, it may also have other functionswithin the smokeless tobacco product. For example, a syrup can beemployed in an amount sufficient to provide chewiness and retardsolubilization, or otherwise provide desired flavor attributes to thesmokeless tobacco composition.

When present, a representative amount of sweetener may make up about 5percent or more, about 10 percent or more, about 15 percent or more, orabout 20 percent or more of the total dry weight of the composition. Incertain embodiments, the amount of sweetener within the composition willnot exceed about 40 percent, about 35 percent, or about 30 percent ofthe total dry weight of the composition.

In some embodiments, the smokeless tobacco compositions of the inventionalso include at least one filler ingredient. A filler component oftenfulfills multiple functions, such as enhancing certain organolepticproperties such as texture and mouthfeel, enhancing cohesiveness orcompressibility of the product, and the like. The filler can be organicor inorganic. Certain exemplary fillers include grains, processedgrains, puffed grains, maltodextrin, dextrose, calcium carbonate,calcium phosphate, corn starch, lactose, sugar alcohols such as isomalt,maltitol, mannitol, xylitol, or sorbitol, finely divided cellulose, andthe like.

In certain embodiments, a sweetener can be used as a filler component.In such cases, the smokeless tobacco product can comprise one componentthat acts as both sweetener and filler or can comprise one or moresweeteners in addition to the component that acts as both sweetener andfiller. In some embodiments, sugar alcohols are particularlyadvantageous as filler components in certain products of the disclosurebecause such materials contribute some sweetness and do not disrupt thechewable characteristics which may be desired in the final product. Insome embodiments, a fondant filler is used. Fondant fillers typicallycomprise sugar, corn syrup, and water. One exemplary fondant fillercomposition consists of sugar, corn syrup, water, albumen, algin, citricacid, vanillin, sodium propionate, and potassium sorbate. When present,a representative amount of filler, whether an organic and/or inorganicfiller, may make up about 1 percent or more, about 2 percent or more, orabout 5 percent or more, based on the total dry weight of thecomposition. Preferably, the amount of filler within the compositionwill not exceed about 50 percent, about 40 percent, or about 30 percentof the total dry weight of the composition.

According to the present invention, certain smokeless tobacco productsfurther comprise one or more flavoring agents. As used herein, a“flavorant” or “flavoring agent” is any flavorful or aromatic substancecapable of altering the sensory characteristics associated with thesmokeless tobacco composition. Exemplary sensory characteristics thatcan be modified by the flavorant include, taste, mouthfeel, moistness,coolness/heat, and/or fragrance/aroma. The flavorants can be natural orsynthetic, and the character of these flavors can be described as,without limitation, fresh, sweet, herbal, confectionery, floral, fruityor spice. Specific types of flavors include, but are not limited to,vanilla, coffee, chocolate, cream, mint (e.g., mint oil), spearmint,menthol, peppermint, wintergreen, lavender, cardamon, nutmeg, cinnamon,clove, cascarilla, sandalwood, honey, jasmine, ginger, anise, sage,licorice, lemon, orange, apple, peach, lime, cherry, and strawberry.Flavorants utilized in the disclosure also can include components thatare considered moistening, cooling or smoothening agents, such aseucalyptus. These flavors may be provided neat (i.e., alone) or in acomposite (e.g., spearmint and menthol or orange and cinnamon). In someinstances, the flavorant may be provided in a spray-dried form or aliquid form. Flavorants are typically present in an amount of about 0.5to about 10 dry weight percent, about 1 to about 6 dry weight percent,or about 2 to about 5 dry weight percent.

In some embodiments, the smokeless tobacco compositions may furthercomprise a salt, typically employed in an amount sufficient to providedesired sensory attributes to the smokeless tobacco composition.Exemplary salts include, but are not limited to, sodium chloride,potassium chloride, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, sodium acetate,potassium acetate, flour salt, and the like. When present, arepresentative amount of salt is about 0.5 dry weight percent or more,about 1.0 dry weight percent or more, or at about 1.5 dry weight percentor more, but will typically may make up about 5 percent or less of thetotal dry weight of the composition (e.g., about 0.5 to about 4 dryweight percent).

In certain embodiments, a humectant may be employed in the smokelesstobacco products. Exemplary humectants include, but are not limited to,glycerin, propylene glycol, and the like. Where included, the humectantis typically provided in an amount sufficient to provide desiredmoisture attributes to the smokeless tobacco composition. Further, insome instances, the humectant may impart desirable flow characteristicsto the smokeless tobacco composition for depositing in a starch mold.When present, a representative amount of humectant is about 0.5 dryweight percent or more, about 1.0 dry weight percent or more, or about1.5 dry weight percent or more, but the humectants, when present, willtypically make up about 5 percent or less of the total dry weight of thecomposition (e.g., about 0.5 to about 4 dry weight percent).

A binder (or combination of binders) may be employed in certainembodiments according to the invention, in amounts sufficient to providethe desired physical attributes and physical integrity to the smokelesstobacco composition. Exemplary binders include, but are not limited to,povidone, sodium carboxymethylcellulose and other modified cellulosictypes of binders, sodium alginate, xanthan gum, gum arabic, gellan gum,lecithin, polydextrose, and the like. In certain embodiments, the starchcomponent may act as a binder, and thus, the desired physical attributesand physical integrity of the smokeless tobacco composition may beachieved without any added binder. Where added, a representative amountof binder may make up about 5 percent or more or about 10 percent ormore of the total dry weight of the composition. In certain embodiments,the binder component(s) of the composition will be present in an amountof about 15 dry weight percent or more, about 20 dry weight percent ormore, or about 25 dry weight percent or more. Preferably, the totalamount of binder within the composition will not exceed about 45 percentof the total dry weight of the composition. Often, the amount of binderwithin a desirable composition will not exceed about 40 percent or about35 percent of the total dry weight of the composition.

The binder can include a tobacco-derived material in some embodiments,which can optionally be combined with one or more additional bindercomponents. In certain embodiments, the binder material includes anatural gum. As used herein, a natural gum refers to polysaccharidematerials of natural origin that are useful as thickening or gellingagents. When present, natural gum binder materials are typically presentin an amount of at least about 15 dry weight percent, at least about 20dry weight percent or at least about 25 dry weight percent.Representative natural gums derived from plants, which are typicallywater soluble to some degree, include xanthan gum, guar gum, gum arabic,ghatti gum, gum tragacanth, karaya gum, locust bean gum, gellan gum, andcombinations thereof.

In certain embodiments, the compositions of the present invention cancomprise pH adjusters or buffering agents. Exemplary pH adjusters andbuffering agents that can be used include, but are not limited to, metalhydroxides (e.g., alkali metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide andpotassium hydroxide) and other alkali metal buffers such as metalcarbonates (e.g., potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate), or metalbicarbonates such as sodium bicarbonate, and the like. Preferredbuffering agents buffer within a pH range of about 6 to about 10, andexemplary buffering agents include metal hydroxides, metal carbonates,metal bicarbonates, or mixtures thereof. Where present, the bufferingagent is typically present in an amount less than about 1 percent basedon the dry weight of the formulation.

Various additional additives can be included in the smokeless tobaccocompositions of the present invention. The additives can be artificial,or can be obtained or derived from herbal or biological sources.Exemplary types of additives include gelling agents (e.g., fishgelatin), emulsifiers, colorants (e.g., dyes and pigments, includingcaramel coloring, titanium dioxide, and the like), oral care additives(e.g., thyme oil, eucalyptus oil, and zinc), preservatives (e.g.,potassium sorbate and the like), disintegration or compressibility aids(e.g., microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone,sodium starch glycolate, pregelatinized corn starch, and the like),antioxidants, and mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, one or morefats or oils are added. The fat may function, for example, as aprocessing aid and/or to optimize the appearance of the smokelesstobacco product. For example, partially hydrogenated soybean oil can beincluded in the composition. These and other exemplary types ofadditives may include those described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Pub.No. 2010/0291245 to Gao et al., previously incorporated by referenceherein.

Such additives may be provided in a powder or granulated form for mixingwith the tobacco material formulation, or otherwise may be provided inliquid form. Most preferably, the additive when provided in a powder orgranulated form is employed in the form of parts or pieces that have anaverage particle size less than about 50 microns. According to someaspects, the average particle size of the additive may be about 25microns or less. The moisture content of the additives provided in apowder or granulated form may vary. Most preferably, the moisturecontent of the additive provided in a powder or granulated form is about10 weight percent or less, may be about 5 percent or less, and is oftenabout 2.5 weight percent or less. The additive may be admixed with anycomponent or with the particulate tobacco material in, for example, aHobart mixer with a paddle prior to adding any liquid additives. In theevent liquid additives are provided, the resultant mixture may stillhave a relatively low moisture content of about 10 weight percent orless, may be about 5 percent or less, and is often about 2.5 weightpercent or less. The relative amounts of the various additive componentswithin the smokeless tobacco product may vary.

The aforementioned types of additives can be employed together (e.g., asadditive formulations) or separately (e.g., individual additivecomponents can be added at different stages involved in the preparationof the final tobacco product). The relative amounts of the variouscomponents within the smokeless tobacco formulation may vary, andtypically are selected so as to provide the desired sensory andperformance characteristics to the tobacco product. Furthermore, theaforementioned types of additives may be encapsulated as provided in thefinal product or composition. Exemplary encapsulated additives aredescribed, for example, in WO 2010/132444 A2 to Atchley, which has beenpreviously incorporated by reference herein.

Certain representative smokeless tobacco compositions may incorporateabout 25 to about 35 percent tobacco material, about 15 to about 35percent sweetener, about 20 to about 40 percent corn syrup, about 1 toabout 15 percent starch, up to about 20 percent dextrose, up to about 5percent oil, and up to about 10 percent filler, based on the total dryweight of the smokeless tobacco composition. The particular percentagesand choice of ingredients will vary depending upon the desired flavor,texture, and other characteristics.

The manner by which the various components of the smokeless tobaccocomposition are combined may vary. The various components of thesmokeless tobacco composition may be contacted, combined, or mixedtogether in conical-type blenders, mixing drums, ribbon blenders, or thelike, such as a Hobart mixer. As such, the overall mixture of variouscomponents with the powdered tobacco components may be relativelyuniform in nature. See also, for example, the types of methodologies setforth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,148,325 to Solomon et al.; 6,510,855 to Korteet al.; and 6,834,654 to Williams, each of which is incorporated hereinby reference. In some embodiments, the ingredients forming the smokelesstobacco composition are prepared such that the mixture thereof may beused in a starch molding process for forming the smokeless tobaccoproduct. Exemplary production processes are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos.4,725,440 to Ridgway et al and 6,077,524 to Bolder et al., which areincorporated by reference herein.

In one embodiment, the process of preparing smokeless tobacco productsaccording to the present invention comprises providing an aqueoussuspension of sweetener and/or other liquid or dissolvable additivesusing a high shear mixer or a Hobart mixing bowl with a whippingattachment. The aqueous mixture is mixed with a tobacco material (e.g.,a particulate tobacco material) and any other dry additives in a Hobartmixing bowl to form a slurry. In some embodiments, the slurry is heatedto give a mixture with a desired solids content. Solids content can beevaluated, for example, by determining the Brix value of the slurry.Brix values generally are used in food and drink industries toapproximate sugar content (where one degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose in100 grams of solution), but such values can be used generally toevaluate total dissolved solid content. Brix values can be determined,for example, by means of a refractometer or densitometer. The desiredsolids content of the slurry described herein can vary and can be, forexample, about 40° Brix to about 135° Brix, such as about 70° Brix toabout 90° Brix. Starch is separately hydrated by the addition of waterto give a clear solution and the solution is admixed with the slurry.Although in some cases, it may be possible to achieve a clear starchsolution at room temperature, it is often necessary to heat the starchsolution. The temperature to which the starch suspension is heated canvary, and is that temperature sufficient to provide a clear starchsolution.

In other embodiments, the hydrated starch solution is added prior to theaddition of the tobacco material. The resulting slurry is generallyheated to give a mixture with a desired solids content (e.g., betweenabout 70 and 90° Brix). The slurry is then mixed with a tobacco material(e.g., a particulate tobacco material) and any other additives in aHobart mixing bowl. The addition of the tobacco material and any otheradditives may occur at an elevated temperature. Exemplary additives thatcan be added to the slurry include oils/fats, and candy fillings (e.g.,fondant filling). These additives can be added with the tobacco, or atvarious points prior to or following addition of the tobacco. In somecases, additives are added at select times, based on the temperature ofthe slurry.

According to some aspects, the smokeless tobacco composition, in theform of a slurry, may be put through a deaerating step or process priorto being received in a mold or being subjected to other processingsteps, so as to reduce or eliminate air bubbles present in the slurrymixture. Air bubbles entrapped within the slurry may affect the finalweight of the smokeless tobacco product, which could lead to a lack ofweight uniformity between units of the final smokeless tobacco product.As such, any deaerating methods and systems may be employed for removingsuch air bubbles from the slurry material. For example, the slurry maybe placed under reduced pressure (i.e., below atmospheric pressure) topull the air bubbles out of the slurry mixture. In some instances, avacuum deaerating process may be employed in which the slurry mixture isplaced in a vacuum deaerator for deaerating the slurry mixture usingpressure reduction. In some instances, the slurry mixture may be undervacuum for about 1 to about 10 minutes, and typically for about 3 toabout 5 minutes. The deaerating step may be observed and adjustedaccordingly in order to controllably remove the gaseous components fromthe slurry mixture.

Once the desired viscosity is achieved, the heated smokeless tobaccocomposition may then be deposited into a mold, such as, for example, astarch mold. While the process as further described herein is directedto forming a smokeless tobacco product using a starch mold, it is notedthat other types of molds may be used in the process, such as, forexample, starchless molds, plastic tray molds, metallic tray molds,neoprene tray molds, etc.

In instances involving the use of starch molds, the starch molds may bepre-dried to remove moisture content from the starch mold itself. Thatis, prior to receiving the slurry or viscous smokeless tobaccocomposition, the starch mold may be subjected to an elevated temperatureto drive out moisture in the starch mold. For example, in someinstances, the starch mold may initially have a moisture content ofabout 10-15 weight percent. Such levels of moisture could potentiallyhave an effect on the uniformity of the resultant product. In thisregard, certain moisture levels in the starch mold could potentiallyhave a wrinkling or pruning effect on the product such that the finalproduct has a shriveled or otherwise wrinkled appearance. As such, thestarch mold may be dried at an elevated temperature to reduce themoisture content of the starch mold to between about 4 and about 10weight percent, and preferably between about 6 and about 8 weightpercent, based on the total weight of the starch mold. By taking suchsteps, the product may, in some instances, be more uniformly consistentin appearance. Furthermore, the starch mold may be heated to an elevatedtemperature prior to receiving the smokeless tobacco composition suchthat the starch mold itself is at an elevated temperature when receivingthe smokeless tobacco composition.

The smokeless tobacco composition remains in the starch mold at anelevated temperature such as, for example, at between about 40° C. toabout 80° C. (e.g., about 40° C. or greater or about 50° C. or greater),and typically at about 60° C. The smokeless tobacco composition may beheld at the elevated temperature for a predetermined duration of timesuch as, for example, about 15-25 hours, so as to allow the smokelesstobacco composition to cure and solidify, while driving the moisturecontent of the smokeless tobacco composition to a desired final moisturelevel. In this regard, curing generally refers to the solidificationprocess in which moisture loss occurs, the viscosity of the compositionis raised, and chemical and physical changes begin to occur (e.g.,crystallization, cross-linking, gelling, film forming, etc.). Thesmokeless tobacco composition is allowed to cool and thereafter removedfrom the starch mold. In some instances, the smokeless tobaccocomposition may be allowed to cool at refrigerated or below ambienttemperatures. An air blower/shaker device can be used to remove starchremnants from the smokeless tobacco composition after being removed fromthe starch mold.

The smokeless tobacco composition is then allowed to post-cure for atime and at a temperature suitable to allow the composition to becomeequilibrated to a desired moisture, shape and form. The time andtemperature can vary without departing from the invention and depend inpart on the desired final characteristics of the product. In oneembodiment, the post-cure is conducted at ambient temperature for about20 hours or more after being removed from the mold. The resultantsmokeless tobacco product may be provided in individual pieces weighingbetween about 0.5 grams to about 5 grams, although aspects of thepresent disclosure are not limited to such weights.

The curing times and temperatures of the smokeless tobacco compositioncan be varied as desired. In this regard, such variables may affect thefinal visual appearance of the smokeless tobacco product. For example,extended curing times and/or low curing temperatures may affect thefinal outer configuration or contours of the smokeless tobacco product.That is, the rate of drying and/or curing of the product can affect thefinal properties of the product. In some instances, for example,lowering the curing temperature and extending the curing time may causethe smokeless tobacco product to have a relatively smooth outer surface.In contrast, curing at higher temperatures for shorter period of timescan lead to a roughened or wrinkled appearance in the product.

According to other aspects of the present disclosure, rather than usingmolds to prepare the smokeless tobacco product, an extrusion process maybe employed in which the final smokeless tobacco product is extruded. Insome instances, the smokeless tobacco composition in slurry form may beformed into a sheet and allowed to dry to a moisture content, forexample, of about 15 percent to about 25 percent by weight water to forma tacky or otherwise pasty material, which is in a form capable ofphysical handling. The material may then be chopped or otherwise cutinto smaller pieces using, for example, a mixer. The chopped materialmay then be extruded through an extrusion device to any shape/sizedesired, including shapes that may be difficult or impossible to achievewith a mold. In some instances, the extruded product may then be driedto achieve a desired moisture content. A similar type process isdescribed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,617 to Smylie et al.,which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further, thesmokeless tobacco composition may be subjected to a co-extrusion processwith another composition, which may be a smokeless tobacco compositionor any other non-smokeless tobacco composition.

Shapes such as, for example, rods and cubes can be formed by firstextruding the material through a die having the desired cross-section(e.g., round or square) and then optionally cutting the extrudedmaterial into desired lengths. Techniques and equipment for extrudingtobacco materials are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,098,492 to Wursburg;4,874,000 to Tamol et al.; 4,880,018 to Graves et al.; 4,989,620 toKeritsis et al.; 5,072,744 to Luke et al.; 5,829,453 to White et al.;and 6,182,670 to White et al.; each of which is incorporated herein byreference. Exemplary extrusion equipment suitable for use include foodor gum extruders, or industrial pasta extruders such as Model TP 200/300available from Emiliomiti, LLC of Italy. In some instances, a singlemachine may be capable of achieving multiple steps of the processesdescribed herein, such as, for example, kneader systems available fromBuss AG.

The smokeless tobacco product can be dried or moistened to reach thefinal desired moisture level. The moisture content of the smokelesstobacco product prior to use by a consumer can vary. Typically, themoisture content of the smokeless tobacco product, as present within asingle unit of product prior to insertion into the mouth of the user, iswithin the range of about 5 to about 20 weight percent, often about 8 toabout 15 weight percent, more often about 10 to about 13 weight percent,based on the total weight of the product unit, but may vary dependingupon the specific form of the smokeless tobacco product.

The acidity or alkalinity of the smokeless tobacco product, which isoften characterized in terms of pH, can vary. Typically, the pH of thatformulation is about 6.5 or greater, and preferably about 7.5 orgreater. Typically, the pH of that formulation will not exceed about9.5, and often will not exceed about 9.0. A representative tobaccoformulation exhibits a pH of about 6.8 to about 8.8 (e.g., about 7.4 toabout 8.2). A representative technique for determining the pH of asmokeless tobacco formulation involves dispersing 5 g of thatformulation in 100 ml of high performance liquid chromatography water,and measuring the pH of the resulting suspension/solution (e.g., with apH meter).

The smokeless tobacco products of the invention can take any of a numberof physical forms. Certain smokeless tobacco products are in the form ofgels. The gel can be a soft gel or a hard gel. Certain smokeless tobaccoproducts are in the form of pastilles. As used herein, the term“pastille” refers to a dissolvable oral product made by solidifying aliquid or gel composition so that the final product is a somewhathardened solid gel. The rigidity of the gel is highly variable. Certainproducts of the invention are in the form of solids. Certain productscan exhibit, for example, one or more of the following characteristics:crispy, granular, chewy, syrupy, pasty, fluffy, smooth, and/or creamy.In certain embodiments, the desired textural property can be selectedfrom the group consisting of adhesiveness, cohesiveness, density,dryness, fracturability, graininess, gumminess, hardness, heaviness,moisture absorption, moisture release, mouthcoating, roughness,slipperiness, smoothness, viscosity, wetness, and combinations thereof.

The compositions of the present invention may be dissolvable. As usedherein, the terms “dissolve,” “dissolving,” and “dissolvable” refer tocompositions having aqueous-soluble components that interact withmoisture in the oral cavity and enter into solution, thereby causinggradual consumption of the product. According to one aspect, thedissolvable smokeless tobacco product is capable of lasting in theuser's mouth for a given period of time until it completely dissolves.Dissolution rates of the present smokeless tobacco products can varyover a wide range, from about 1 minute or less to about 60 minutes. Forexample, fast release compositions typically dissolve and/or release theactive component in about 2 minutes or less, often about 1 minute orless (e.g., about 50 seconds or less, about 40 seconds or less, about 30seconds or less, or about 20 seconds or less). Dissolution can occur byany means, such as melting, mechanical disruption (e.g., chewing),enzymatic or other chemical degradation, or by disruption of theinteraction between the components of the product. In some embodiments,the products can be meltable as discussed, for example, in U.S.application Ser. No. 12/854,342 to Cantrell et al., filed Aug. 11, 2010.In other embodiments, the compositions do not dissolve during thesmokeless tobacco product's residence in the user's mouth.

In certain embodiments, the products of the disclosure are characterizedby sufficient cohesiveness to withstand light chewing action in the oralcavity without rapidly disintegrating. Certain products of thedisclosure typically do not exhibit a highly deformable chewing qualityas found in conventional chewing gum. In certain embodiments, theproduct may temporarily adhere to a part of the oral mucosa.

The smokeless tobacco product can be provided in any suitablepredetermined shape or form. For example, in some embodiments, thesmokeless tobacco product is provided in the form having a general shapeof a pill, pellet, tablet, coin, bead, ovoid, obloid, cube, film, flake,stick, foam, gel, or the like. In some embodiments, the shape isdetermined by the shape of the mold in which the product is formed.Individual compositions can be sized such that they fit entirely in theuser's mouth, or such that they fit only partially in the mouth. Thus,the preferred dimensions can vary.

According to some embodiments, the smokeless tobacco composition may becoated with a coating substance after being removed from the starch moldand prior to drying. For example, a glazing or anti-sticking coatingsubstance, such as, for example, CAPOL 410 (available from Centerchem,Inc.), may be applied to the smokeless tobacco composition to providefree-flowing properties. Outer coatings can also help to improve storagestability of the smokeless tobacco products of the present disclosure aswell as improve the packaging process by reducing friability anddusting. Devices for providing outer coating layers to the products ofthe present disclosure include pan coaters and spray coaters, andparticularly include the coating devices available as CompuLab 24,CompuLab 36, Accela-Cota 48 and Accela-Cota 60 from Thomas Engineering.

An exemplary outer coating comprises a film-forming polymer, such as acellulosic polymer, an optional plasticizer, and optional flavorants,colorants, salts, sweeteners or other additives of the types set forthherein. The coating compositions are usually aqueous in nature and canbe applied using any pellet or tablet coating technique known in theart, such as pan coating. Exemplary film-forming polymers includecellulosic polymers such as methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose(HPC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxyethyl cellulose, andcarboxy methylcellulose. Exemplary plasticizers include aqueoussolutions or emulsions of glyceryl monostearate and triethyl citrate.Exemplary coating compositions and methods of application are describedin U.S. application Ser. No. 12/876,785 to Hunt et al.; filed Sep. 7,2010, and which is incorporated by reference herein.

Although the foregoing description focuses on compositions that areuniform throughout each product unit, products can also be formed withmultiple different formulations having different properties in the sameproduct unit. For example, two different compositions can be depositedin a single mold to produce a layered product. Still further, twodifferent compositions could be co-extruded to form a product withdifferent characteristics across its cross-section. Such a process couldbe used to provide a product with two different compositions featuringdifferent dissolution rates such that a first portion of the productdissolves at a first rate (e.g., a faster rate) and a second portiondissolves at a second, slower rate.

According to some aspects, the tobacco particulate component of thepastille composition may be replaced with other suitable botanicalparticulate components such as, for example, tea particulates, coffeeparticulates, herbal particulates, spice particulates and/orcombinations thereof. The particulates may be typically provided in apowder form, which may be extracted from an appropriate botanicalsource.

Products of the present disclosure can be packaged and stored in anysuitable packaging. See, for example, the various types of containersfor smokeless types of products that are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos.7,014,039 to Henson et al.; 7,537,110 to Kutsch et al.; 7,584,843 toKutsch et al.; D592,956 to Thiellier and D594,154 to Patel et al.; USPat. Pub. Nos. 2008/0173317 to Robinson et al.; 2009/0014343 to Clark etal.; 2009/0014450 to Bjorkholm; 2009/0250360 to Bellamah et al.;2009/0266837 to Gelardi et al.; 2009/0223989 to Gelardi; 2009/0230003 toThiellier; 2010/0084424 to Gelardi; and 2010/0133140 to Bailey et al;and US Pat. Appl. Serial Nos. 29/342,212, filed Aug. 20, 2009, to Baileyet al.; 12/425,180, filed Apr. 16, 2009, to Bailey et al.; 12/685,819,filed Jan. 12, 2010, to Bailey et al.; and 12/814,015, filed Jun. 11,2010, to Gelardi et al., which are incorporated herein by reference.

EXPERIMENTAL

The following examples are provided to illustrate further aspectsassociated with the present disclosure, but should not be construed aslimiting the scope thereof. Unless otherwise noted, all parts andpercentages are by dry weight.

Example 1 Firm Pastille

A smokeless tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobaccoproduct for oral use is provided in the following manner.

A suspension is prepared by combining sugar (360.00 g), 42DE corn syrup(480.89 g) and water (192.80 g). The suspension is heated to 230° F.until the solids content reached 72° Brix. Tobacco (360.00 g) is thenslowly added to the suspension. Additional water (185 g) is added duringaddition of the tobacco to ensure that the mixture is not too thick.Separately, a hydrated starch is prepared by adding water (144 g) topotato starch (Perfectagel MPT, 144.01 g) and stirring and heating themixture to 190-200° F. to give a clear solution. The hydrated starch isquickly added to the sugar/tobacco suspension. The resulting mixture isdeposited into Nu Mould™ starch molding trays and dried in an oven at130° F. for 48 hours or until a solids content of about 82° Brix isobtained. The process gives small dried gel disc-shaped productscomprising 35% tobacco and water activity A_(w) of 0.44.

Example 2 Soft Pastille

A smokeless tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobaccoproduct for oral use is provided in the following manner.

A suspension is prepared by combining sugar (150.00 g), 42DE corn syrup(210.02 g), dextrose (66.01 g), and water (108.10 g). Dextrose isincorporated to maintain good fluidity of the suspension. The suspensionis heated to 230° F. until the solids content reached 72° Brix. Tobacco(180.00 g) is then slowly added to the suspension. Separately, ahydrated starch is prepared by adding water to potato starch(Perfectagel MPT, 72.01 g) and stirring and heating the mixture to190-200° F. to give a clear solution. The hydrated starch is quicklyadded to the sugar/tobacco suspension. The resulting mixture isdeposited into Nu Mould™ starch molding trays and dried in an oven at130° F. for 48 hours or until a solids content of about 82° Brix isobtained. The process gives medium-sized dried gel disc-shaped productscomprising 15% tobacco and water activity A_(w) of 0.45. These productsare slightly softer and more flexible than those of Example 1. Theseproducts also include a higher amount of tobacco, but as shown by theA_(w) value, this did not affect the water activity of the gel.

Example 3 Crisp Chew

A smokeless tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobaccoproduct for oral use is provided in the following manner.

A suspension is prepared by combining sugar (157.14 g), 42DE corn syrup(157.14 g), and water (45.28 g). Separately, a hydrated starch isprepared by adding water (45.23 g) to starch (Amylogum™ EST, 9.52 g) andstirring the mixture without heating to give a clear solution. Thehydrated starch is quickly added to the sugar suspension and the mixtureis stirred and heated at 251° F. until a solids content of 85-88° Brixis obtained. The resulting mixture is transferred to a Hobart bowl witha paddle attachment and stirred. When the temperature of the mixturedrops to about 170° F., pre-melted partially hydrogenated soybean oil(9.52 g) is added and mixing is continued. When the temperature of themixture drops to about 160° F., Redi Fondant filling (9.52 g) andtobacco (131.05 g) is added and the mixture is stirred for threeminutes. The resulting sticky dough-like material is spread ontoparchment paper, rolled flat, and left overnight. The material is cutand wrapped to give a firm, slightly rough and crisp chew comprising 23%tobacco, 2% soybean oil, and water activity A_(w) of 0.46.

Example 4 Hard Chew

A smokeless tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobaccoproduct for oral use is provided in the following manner.

A suspension is prepared by combining sugar (87.14 g), 42DE corn syrup(151.11 g), dextrose (87.04 g), and water (45.08 g). Separately, ahydrated starch is prepared by adding water (45.15 g) to starch(Amylogum EST, 9.16 g) and stirring the mixture without heating to givea clear solution. The hydrated starch is quickly added to the sugarsuspension and the mixture is stirred and heated at 251° F. until asolids content of 85-88° Brix is obtained. The resulting mixture istransferred to a Hobart bowl with a paddle attachment and stirred. Whenthe temperature of the mixture drops to about 170° F., pre-meltedpartially hydrogenated soybean oil (9.12 g) is added and mixing iscontinued. When the temperature of the mixture drops to about 160° F.,Redi Fondant filling (9.52 g) and tobacco (166.41 g) is added and themixture is stirred for three minutes. The resulting sticky dough-likematerial is spread onto parchment paper, rolled flat, and leftovernight. The material is cut and wrapped to give a hard and roughchew, comprising 35% tobacco, 2% soybean oil, and water activity A_(w)of 0.41. This product is similar in texture to that of Experiment 3;however, the higher tobacco content of this product results in anoticeably rougher appearance.

Example 5 Soft Chew

A smokeless tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobaccoproduct for oral use is provided in the following manner.

A suspension is prepared by combining sugar (85.71 g), 42DE corn syrup(148.87 g), dextrose (85.71 g), and water (43.00 g). Separately, ahydrated starch is prepared by adding water (42.71 g) to starch(Amylogum™ EST, 9.10 g) and stirring the mixture without heating to givea clear solution. The hydrated starch is quickly added to the sugarsuspension and the mixture is stirred and heated at 251° F. until asolids content of 85-88° Brix is obtained. The resulting mixture istransferred to a Hobart bowl with a paddle attachment and stirred. Whenthe temperature of the mixture drops to about 170° F., pre-meltedpartially hydrogenated soybean oil (18.05 g) is added and mixing iscontinued. The amount of soybean oil is higher than that in Example 4,in an attempt to improve the appearance of the product. When thetemperature of the mixture drops to about 160° F., Redi Fondant filling(9.02 g) and tobacco (157.89 g) is added and the mixture is stirred forthree minutes. The resulting sticky but fluid dough-like material isspread onto parchment paper, rolled flat, and left overnight. Thematerial is cut and wrapped to give a soft, smooth, and flexible chew,comprising 35% tobacco, 4% soybean oil, and water activity A_(w) of0.48. The product exhibits a smooth, shiny appearance and someflexibility.

Example 6 Elastic Chew

A smokeless tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobaccoproduct for oral use is provided in the following manner.

A suspension is prepared by combining sugar (85.71 g), 42DE corn syrup(148.87 g), dextrose (85.71 g), and water (43.00 g). Separately, ahydrated starch is prepared by adding water (42.71 g) to starch(Amylogum CLS, 9.02 g) and stirring the mixture without heating to givea clear solution. Amylogum CLS is used in place of Amylogum EST toimprove the elasticity of the chew. The hydrated starch is quickly addedto the sugar suspension and the mixture is stirred and heated at 251° F.until a solids content of 85-88° Brix is obtained. The resulting mixtureis transferred to a Hobart bowl with a paddle attachment and stirred.When the temperature of the mixture drops to about 170° F., pre-meltedpartially hydrogenated soybean oil (18.05 g) is added and mixing iscontinued. When the temperature of the mixture drops to about 160° F.,Redi Fondant filling (9.02 g) and tobacco (157.89 g) is added and themixture is stirred for three minutes. The resulting material is spreadonto parchment paper, rolled flat, and left overnight. The material iscut and wrapped to give a soft, extremely elastic chew, comprising 35%tobacco and water activity A_(w) of 0.43.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come tomind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains havingthe benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description.Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to belimited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications andother embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of theappended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they areused in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes oflimitation.

That which is claimed:
 1. A method for preparing a smokeless tobaccoproduct, comprising: identifying a specific textural property to beimparted to the product; identifying a specific starch material thatprovides the specific textural property in a product; and combining thespecific starch material with a tobacco material to form a smokelesstobacco product that exhibits the desired textural property.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the starch is selected from the groupconsisting of acorn, maize, arrowroot, arracacha, banana, barley, bean,breadfruit, buckwheat, canna, cassaya, chestnut, colacasia, katakuri,kudzu, malanga, millet, oat, oca, Polynesian arrowroot, potato, quinoa,rice, sago, sorghum, sweet potato, rye, tapioca, taro, tobacco, waterchestnut, wheat, yam starch, and combinations thereof.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the starch is a modified starch.
 4. The method of claim1, wherein the modified starch is selected from the group consisting ofpre-gelatinized starch, acid-modified starch, base-modified starch,oxidized starch, cross-linked starch, acetylated starch, hydroxypropylstarch, hydroxypropyl distarch glycerol, starch sodium octenylsuccinate, and combinations thereof.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereinthe combining step is conducted in aqueous solution.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the method further comprises hydrating the specificstarch material prior to combining it with the tobacco material.
 7. Themethod of claim 6, wherein the hydrating step comprises heating thestarch in water to give a clear solution.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the method further comprises combining the starch material andtobacco material with one or more sweeteners.
 9. The method of claim 8,wherein the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of fructose,sucrose, glucose, maltose, vanillin, ethylvanillin glucoside, mannose,galactose, lactose, stevia, sucralose, isomaltulose, maltodextrin,saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame K, erythritol, arabitol, ribitol,isomalt, maltitol, dulcitol, iditol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol,sorbitol, and combinations thereof.
 10. The method of claim 1, whereinthe method further comprises combining the starch material and tobaccomaterial with one or more additives selected from the group consistingof fillers, flavorants, salts, emulsifiers, disintegration aids,humectants, buffering agents, and mixtures thereof.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the additive is an oil.
 12. The method of claim 10,wherein the additive is a filler.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein thesmokeless tobacco product comprises about 1 percent or more starch on adry weight basis.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the smokelesstobacco product comprises about 5 percent or more starch on a dry weightbasis.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the smokeless tobacco productcomprises about 15% or less starch on a dry weight basis.
 16. The methodof claim 1, wherein the desired textural property is selected from thegroup consisting of cohesiveness, density, dryness, fracturability,graininess, gumminess, hardness, heaviness, moisture absorption,moisture release, mouthcoating, roughness, slipperiness, smoothness,viscosity, wetness, and combinations thereof.
 17. The method of claim 1,wherein the smokeless tobacco product is in the form of a gel.
 18. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the smokeless tobacco product is in the formof a solid.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the smokeless tobaccoproduct is dissolvable.
 20. A smokeless tobacco product exhibiting aspecific textural property, the product comprising: a tobacco material;and a content of a specific starch material that imparts the specifictextural property.
 21. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 20,wherein the starch is selected from the group consisting of acorn,maize, arrowroot, arracacha, banana, barley, beans, breadfruit,buckwheat, canna, cassaya, chestnut, colacasia, katakuri, kudzu,malanga, millet, oat, oca, Polynesian arrowroot, potato, quinoa, rice,sago, sorghum, sweet potato, rye, tapioca, taro, tobacco, waterchestnut, wheat, yam starch, and combinations thereof.
 22. The smokelesstobacco product of claim 20, wherein the starch is a modified starch.23. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 22, wherein the modifiedstarch is selected from the group consisting of pre-gelatinized starch,acid-modified starch, base-modified starch, oxidized starch,cross-linked starch, acetylated starch, hydroxypropyl starch,hydroxypropyl distarch glycerol, starch sodium octenyl succinate, andcombinations thereof.
 24. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 20,wherein the smokeless tobacco product further comprises one or moresweeteners.
 25. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 24, wherein thesweetener is selected from the group consisting of fructose, sucrose,glucose, maltose, vanillin, ethylvanillin glucoside, mannose, galactose,lactose, stevia, sucralose, isomaltulose, maltodextrin, saccharin,aspartame, acesulfame K, erythritol, arabitol, ribitol, isomalt,maltitol, dulcitol, iditol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, sorbitol, andcombinations thereof.
 26. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 20,wherein the smokeless tobacco product further comprises one or moreadditives selected from the group consisting of fillers, flavorants,emulsifiers, salts, disintegration aids, humectants, buffering agents,and mixtures thereof.
 27. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 26,wherein the additive is an oil.
 28. The smokeless tobacco product ofclaim 26, wherein the additive is a filler.
 29. The smokeless tobaccoproduct of claim 20, wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises atleast about 1 percent starch on a dry weight basis.
 30. The smokelesstobacco product of claim 20, wherein the specific textural property isselected from the group consisting of cohesiveness, density, dryness,fracturability, graininess, gumminess, hardness, heaviness, moistureabsorption, moisture release, mouthcoating, roughness, slipperiness,smoothness, viscosity, wetness, and combinations thereof.
 31. Thesmokeless tobacco product of claim 20, wherein the smokeless tobaccoproduct is in the form of a gel.
 32. The smokeless tobacco product ofclaim 20, wherein the smokeless tobacco product is in the form of asolid.
 33. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 20, wherein thesmokeless tobacco product is dissolvable.